He Used 6 IKEA BILLY Bookcases Instead of Building Walls to Create a Bedroom in His Studio
A studio apartment with high ceilings, skylights, and an open floor plan offered plenty of room for furniture, but no separation between the sleeping and living areas. Building a bedroom with conventional walls would have meant changing the layout, so the homeowner looked for another way to divide the space.
Olamilekan Isaac, who shares his home projects on Instagram at @our_commonspace, used six IKEA BILLY bookcases to create a bedroom within his studio. He arranged the shelves around the bed and installed an IKEA SKYTTA sliding door across the entrance, gaining a separate sleeping area and storage facing the living space.
An Open Studio Had No Separate Bedroom
Before the project, the apartment was one large room with wood flooring, white walls, exposed columns, and a vaulted ceiling. Skylights brought daylight into the interior, while windows along the exterior walls provided additional light.
The open floor plan offered no division between the bed and the rest of the apartment. Isaac wanted a bedroom with more privacy without constructing permanent partitions.
Six IKEA BILLY Bookcases Became Bedroom Walls
Six BILLY bookcases in IKEA’s brown walnut-effect finish formed the bedroom enclosure. The units were arranged around a corner of the studio, creating a separate sleeping area behind the shelving.
The bookcases face outward, providing open storage for books and decorative objects. Their backs define the sleeping space, allowing the same furniture to serve two purposes.
An IKEA SKYTTA Sliding Door Closed the Bedroom
Rather than leaving an open passage between the bookcases, Isaac installed IKEA SKYTTA sliding panels across the bedroom entrance.
The white translucent panels sit within a metal frame, providing separation between the bed and the surrounding studio. When opened, the entrance provides access to the sleeping area without requiring space for a swinging door.
The bookcases stop below the vaulted ceiling, leaving the original skylights and exposed overhead pipes visible.
The Bookcases Provide Storage Outside the Bedroom
From the dining area, the walnut-effect shelves resemble a large open bookcase wall. Books, ceramics, lamps, and decorative objects occupy individual compartments, while the lower sections provide additional storage.
The arrangement separates the dining area from the bed without placing solid drywall between the spaces.
A round white dining table and pedestal chairs sit in front of the bookcases. The wooden shelving extends across the wall behind them, with a paper pendant hanging above the table.
The brown finish also works with the existing wood floor, while the white dining furniture provides contrast.
The Bedroom Sits Behind the Shelving
A view from the side shows how the bookcases form a boundary between the dining area and the rest of the apartment. The shelving ends near an opening that connects to the adjoining living space.
The bedroom occupies the enclosed area behind the units, with the bed positioned beneath one of the studio’s windows.
The Living Room Remains Open
The remaining floor space accommodates a separate seating area with a sofa, lounge chair, television, and wall-mounted storage.
A white structural column remains near the center of the apartment, while the new bedroom enclosure occupies one side of the original open plan.
The Project Cost $1,100
According to Isaac, the bookcase and sliding-door project cost approximately $1,100. He used IKEA components without repainting them, avoiding the expense of custom-built partitions.
He also plans to add cabinet doors and trim to parts of the shelving, but the current arrangement already provides the bedroom separation and storage he wanted.
The project shows an alternative use for IKEA BILLY bookcases beyond conventional wall storage. Six units and a sliding door create a separate sleeping area while keeping the shelving accessible from the rest of the apartment.
Would you use bookcases to divide a studio apartment, or prefer conventional bedroom walls?
Image sources and info : Yahoo, Instagram @our_commonspace.